A GON Reader Asks…
What if you use it, and it fits your life now, but you don’t know where it belongs? What if it’s sitting out because you don’t know where to store it or keep it?
-- Kayelle Allen
Maria’s Response
Hi Kayelle,
This is such a
real-life organizing problem, and honestly, it’s one of the most common reasons “stuff” ends up living on counters, chairs, and that one corner of the dining room table.
When something fits your life right now and you truly use it, it’s not clutter. It’s a homeless item. And homeless items don’t need judgment. They need a decision and
a spot.
Here are a few simple ways to give that item a proper home without turning your whole house upside down:
1) Decide where you use it
most
This is the quickest way to solve it. The “right” home is usually where your hand naturally reaches for it. If you use it every day, it should live close to where it’s used...not always where it “technically” belongs.
A good question to ask:
“Where would I look for this first?”
That’s your answer...even if it's exactly where it is being stored right now.
2) Give it a “prime real estate”
spot
If you use it often, it deserves an easy-to-reach home. That might mean moving something else to a less convenient spot, or clearing one small area so the item can live there properly.
3) Create a tiny category for
it
This is a big one. Lots of items don’t belong because they’re “in-between” items; not quite kitchen, not quite office, not quite hobby. So instead of forcing it into the wrong category, create a micro-category like:
“Daily
essentials”
“Grab-and-go”
“Often used”
“Weekday tools”
Sometimes naming the category is what makes the home obvious.
4) Use the “container decision”
trick
If you don’t know where it belongs, choose the container first, a basket, small bin, tray, or one drawer section, and let that container define its home. This works beautifully for the items that tend to float around, like:
chargers
reading glasses
medications or supplements you use daily
reusable bags
dog supplies
paperwork you need to act on soon
One small container creates instant order.
5) Set a “parking spot” if you’re not ready to
commit
If you’re still unsure, give it a temporary home for now. I call this a parking spot; a place where it’s allowed to live while you decide.
Pick one basket or one shelf and label it mentally as:
“I use this, I’m keeping it, I just haven’t assigned it yet.”
Then once a week (or once every couple weeks), you can look at that basket and decide what deserves a permanent home.
A quick challenge for you, Kayelle
Pick ONE item that’s sitting out right now because it’s homeless. Then do this:
1. Decide where you use it most
2. Choose one realistic home within arm’s reach of that area
3. Make room for it by relocating one less-important
thing
That’s it. No big overhaul. Just one item, finally housed.
On another note...
High-end beauty can be expensive, so I created this list of affordable beauty products that give you the same luxurious results for a lot less!
